Month: July 2017

My work recently ran a charity auction which was so crap that it might have been funny if the money it was trying to raise wasn’t supporting a good cause. Donations were poor, auction items were poor, turnout was poor and most of the bids were pity bids. The highlight/lowlight was the donated homemade hobby pottery that someone’s wife had crafted which looked a bit like it came from a My First Play-Doh™ set. The “winner” of that item didn’t really want the prize, the organisers were embarrassed that it had come to this, onlookers endured the awkwardness of it and the pottery probably didn’t want to be there either. Our second mid season drafts are a lot like that charity auction – full of disappointment. There is some absolute shite read out as we all try and turn over our worst players from a pool that has already been thoroughly picked over at the previous drafts. I’m not going to lie, I looked forward to reviewing and snickering at some of the names from this draft. However, occasionally, a coach manages to strike gold.

Format of the table has changed slightly from the last review. Some picks are great, some are just outright duds but others were a case of the right player at the wrong time and I want to highlight these. It will still be round by round but I’m going to show the score, average and games played from players drafted next to the total possible score, average and games (last 3 columns). Example: Badgers took Touhy and held him until the 2nd mid season draft in 2016. In the time while he was on the Badgers list he played 22 games and averaged an output of 66.1. Tuohy, however, has played 44 possible games since the 2015 2nd mid season draft and averaged 77 across all games since which means not only that Tuohy has never missed a game but the Irish prick has averaged 88 from the moment the Badgers dropped him…Round 1

Since a lot of coaches are trying to replace the worst couple of players from their squad it’s no surprise to see another draft flooded with defenders. Barbarians and Titans bucked this trend and, as a result, enjoyed the services of Hill and Vince. For the Titans they would be able to throw Vince into their backline the following year and the Barbs were able to trade Hill for pick 16 at the next draft. The gators also bucked the trend but only because it’s their policy to use 2 first round draft picks on ruckman per year. Seems to be working for them.

Zac Williams is probably the best pick from this round and perhaps the draft. The young giant has averaged 82 points across 32 games for the Jackals and would earn a starting position in the backline of every team in the league.

Maynard followed a similar path to Tuohy. Held by the Vipers until the first midseason draft of 2016 Maynard only averaged 55 points in that time but since being delisted has averaged just north of 75 and found his way into a few other teams.

Colquhoun and Shaun Edwards are the first categorical flops of this draft. Neither would provide much to finish 2015 off nor feature in 2016 and both would eventually be delisted but the Outlaws and Wolverines respectively.

Rampe has averaged a respectable 69 for the Ducks and is a solid pick.

How boring are the Scorpions not even bothering to participate in this draft? Adam apparently thought this draft was beneath him or had perhaps scheduled another draft on for that night.

Round 2

Buckley (Badgers) was a disgusting pick but funnier still was Tom Fields (Gators) at pick 13. The best part of that pick was the immediate announcement that Fields was up for trade. Unfortunately for Tom and for Aaron they would never get the opportunity as Fields was delisted by Carlton over summer.

While scraping the barrel for defenders the Ducks managed to snag Zak Jones who is going at 81 points per game this year… for the Scorpions. Simon delisted Jones at the very next trade period and while he still wouldn’t do much in 2016 he would eventually come good and get snapped up in the first round of this year’s preseason draft.

On the other hand Wolverines managed to squeeze every last drop out of Palmer. They delisted him at M2 2016 and since then Palmer has only managed one AFL game. 66 points per game from a forward in that time still makes him a list clogger.

Speaking of, Titans can’t be questioned for persevering with Brandon Jack. The Swan was only delisted in the 2017 preseason. Jack has played just the solitary game in 2017 so Titans can feel comfortable with the decision to drop him but maybe not the decision to draft him in the first place

Jackals received serviceable output from Cross as they contended for finals and may have been fortunate enough to gain him as a defender if he had played on for one more year.

Barbarians backed up their nice first round pick with Touk Miller at 12. Miller currently enjoys forward status and looks to be one of the more promising young Sun mids.

McLean (Vipers) is another good pick from this draft and is averaging 82 points as a forward across 2017. McLean is also the last of only four players from this draft to remain on the same team they were drafted to, the others being Vince, Williams and Miller.

Round 3 and Rookie Draft

A lot like the Ducks’ previous selection of Zak Jones, Toby Nankervis was a case of the right player at the wrong time. Simon was quick to cut Nank at the very next draft period before eventually hearing his name announced at pick 3 of the 2017 preseason draft. In fairness nobody was bold enough to sit on Nank in that time and a bit like Tuohy unforeseen offseason trades can make all the difference.

Another good ruck that was correctly identified at this draft was Rory Lobb by the Vipers. The Vipers traded Lobb to the Outlaws at the next trade period for a third round pick which may have been undervalue but if I could turn my rookie pick at this draft into a third round preseason pick I’d do it every time.

Mayne provided handy depth for the Vipers in his time at the Venodrome and has really taken being dropped in a premiership year badly – carving 7 points off his average since and agreeing to a trade to Collingwood.

Finally, both Jansen and Ellis-Yolmen failed to register a game for the Wolverines and Outlaws respectively. Despite being rookie picks after three rounds of drafting these were actually only the 21st and 22nd live selections in this draft. I expect a few more names of this calibre to be read out at our draft this week.